New deal to make biofuel based on plant residues commercially viable

Inbicon and Novozymes have signed an agreement to further develop and optimize the process and the enzymes for converting plant residues to fuel.

Novozymes delivers enzymes to Inbicon’s bio-refinery that opened its doors on November 18th. The two companies have signed an agreement to further develop and optimize the process and the enzymes to reduce the enzyme consumption and the total costs to further advance the technology for a global commercialization.

Paving the way for a profitable green technology

“We are very pleased with this agreement,” says Steen Riisgaard, President and CEO of Novozymes. “Working closely with competent partners like Inbicon is an important step to enable the commercial success of biofuel based on plant residues. Strong development substantiates that the first commercially viable enzyme for the next generation of sustainable biofuel will be ready by 2010. Already now we have sampled the promising prototype for testing at Inbicon.”

According to Niels Henriksen, CEO of Inbicon, the challenge is to bring biofuel to the market at a low enough cost. ”The new demonstration plant in Kalundborg is a break-through in the commercialization of sustainable biofuel production from plant residues. The main goal is to prove that the Inbicon process is viable under industrial conditions. The agreement with Novozymes will contribute to make the Inbicon process the most cost-efficient solution in cellulosic ethanol,” he says.

An effective climate solution

Biofuel based on plant residue offers a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 90% compared to oil-based fuel.

Today, this technology is the only way to decrease CO2 emissions in the transport sector. Given the fact that some 60% of the world's total oil consumption is used by this sector, accounting for around 25% of the world's total CO2 emissions, this is simply a technology we have to use.

Governmental incentives necessary to make straw based biofuel fly

The advantages of biofuel are obvious: It can secure energy supply, combat climate change and create substantial job growth.

If the world is to benefit from this green technology, governmental incentives are needed to support technological innovation and pilot projects to enable the industry to deliver, build infrastructure and pave the way for vehicles that can run on this sustainable biofuel to increase the renewable share of the energy mix.